How to Avoid Overheating of Laptops.

Several warning signs can signify a possibly overheated laptop. If your fan is always running at maximum speed, chances are it's having trouble keeping things cool in there. You know there's a problem if your computer has a tendency to shut down on its own, and there's a good chance that problem is temperature-related.

If you react to touching your laptop as if it was a plate fresh out of the oven, you've either got a problem or are well on the way to having one.

But what can you do about it?

• First, consider where you put the laptop while using it. Never ever rest it on a pillow, blanket, or mattress while it is turned on. Use a flat, hard surface like a desk or table. 
• Put it on top of a laptop cooler. These are pads, often with built-in fans, designed to whisk away heat. But you don't have to buy one. I put my laptop on an empty but sturdy cardboard box that a large-format book once arrived in. 
• Dust-clogged vents can keep a PC from cooling down. Unfortunately, cleaning the inside of a laptop isn't as easy as cleaning a desktop. Using a compressed air canister (you can buy them at any computer store) to blast air through the ducts might help. 
• If it doesn't, you'll have to open the laptop and clean it. If that task scares you, hire a professional to do the job.